The county was formed in 1777 from parts of Surry County and Washington District (now Washington County, Tennessee). It was named for the English political radical John Wilkes who lost his position as Lord Mayor of the City of London due to his support for the colonists during the American Revolution.During the year of 1799 the northern and western parts of Wilkes County became Ashe County. In 1841 parts of Wilkes County and Burke County were combined to form Caldwell County. In 1847 another part of Wilkes County was combined with parts of Caldwell County and Iredell County to become Alexander County. In 1849 additional parts of Wilkes County and Caldwell County were combined with parts of Ashe County and Yancey County to form Watauga County. The county seat is Wilkesboro.
